Posted on 08/16/2010 7:01:10 PM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Larry LeSueur
Tony Marvin
Friday, August the 16th. With the great air raids of yesterday and last night only a few hours past, it is reported this morning that German bombers and fighting planes are again over southeast British coastal towns. Berlin says the renewal of the attacks awaits only the clearing of mist over the Channel. In Rome the Italian High Command says British planes raided North Italy again last night, but there are no details. But now the news direct as reported by Columbia’s correspondents in London and Berlin following which there will be an analysis of the news by Linton Wells. First the report of Larry LeSueur from the British capitol.
Go ahead London.
This is London. I am speaking from a crowded air raid shelter two floors underground. This morning large forces of German bombers are continuing their unprecedented attempt to bomb England. We do not know yet how many more planes the Royal Air Force have added to their record score of yesterday when the Air Ministry announced that the R.A.F. had destroyed 144 out of a German armada of 1000 planes with a loss of only 27 British fighters. During last night the Midlands area of England was heavily bombed. One raid lasted 3 hours. Naturally there were casualties, as yet undetermined. Two nurses were seriously hurt when a sanatorium in the Midlands was hit but the 330 patients were taken safely to air raid shelters.
Yesterday the German Air Force launched eleven attacks along a 500 mile front. When the sirens sounded in London, I watched all traffic stop for a moment. Buses unloaded their passengers at air raid shelters but before the all clear signal sounded, the buses were running again and people stood in (undecipherable) and street corners, watching the skies. Like almost every large city, London’s airport was erected far out in the suburbs, a sort of afterthought. It takes a taxi about 20 minutes to get to Croydon from the center of London. Unlike airports in America, Croydon Field is a great expanse of lush green grass. It has no asphalt runways. I made a familiar trip to Croydon this morning, during peacetime big transport planes skimmed off the gently rolling turf to Paris; about an hour away. But this morning the grass at Croydon was colored a dirty greenish white, dust thrown up by German bombs dumped there last evening. A number of the buildings that surround the vast field were in ruins. An army of tin helmeted air raid wardens were digging and searching. They had been working all night by the light of flares; probably the first light to appear at night in London since last September 1st. The number of air raid wardens was matched only by the number of little boys who had made the long trip out to the bombed airport on their bicycles. Like small boys the world over, these little English fellows were biggy…busy picking up bits of rubble as souvenirs.
I was touched by the number of people who walked around wearing a neat white bandage on their head, like a skull cap. The reason was apparent; Croydon airfield is surrounded by small, neat suburban houses. The one nearest the field had their shingled roofs kinked by falling bricks. Apparently most of these injuries were slight, but they served to give London’s air raid ambulance girls the opportunity to use some of skill they had acquired in eleven months of assiduous practice. (Undecipherable) this mornings onlookers were in pleasant holiday mood; eager and curious. But the persons who lived in little houses near the bombed field were obviously shaken by their experience. They were just recovering from that stunned expression you can see on the faces of people that are in an auto crash.
The results of the German raid are obviously not important so far as military objectives are concerned. It was more in the nature of a spectacular feat. Probably intended to demonstrate that the air defenses of London can be penetrated at will. If this was the German object they obviously succeeded. But if they figured to break the morale of the London populous, they have just as obviously failed. When even those people wearing the skull caps, the white bandages, managed to grin very often. Yesterday, they were obscure suburbanites. Today they are heroes in the eyes of their neighbors. This is Larry LeSueur, returning you to CBS in New York.
That was Larry LeSueur reporting from London. And here are some major dispatches we have just received:
Rome: The government denied today that the unidentified submarine which torpedoed the Greek minelayer Helle, yesterday afternoon, was Italian.
Another dispatch from Rome: British planes for the second time this week, early today roared over Northern Italy and the General Headquarters communiqué admitted that two persons were killed and 5 wounded in raids on Manate and Agrate in the northern rural section of Italy. The communiqué was said that British planes had crossed Switzerland enroute to their attack and objectives, claimed that Italian anti-aircraft guns in the Turin area had shot down one British plane and near Cresola de Alba. The crew is said to have consisted of 5 men, some of whom where killed while the remainder were captured.
And now for news of the German capitol and the report of Edwin Hartrich we take you to Berlin.
This is Berlin. The official German news agency reports that the weather conditions along the English Channel are bad this morning, so operations of the German Air Force today have been reduced in consequence. Last night, we are told, the bombing raids of the Germans continued. This time the objectives were the industrial centers in the Midlands, and Northeastern England. For at this moment we have not further details. The round up of yesterday’s daylight operations have been given out by the German High Command. In the large scale fighting, especially over all of England, the Germans claim they have shot down 98 British planes and destroyed 8 others on the ground. At the same time, the Germans say they lost only 29 planes. Also, the Germans say that 5 more balloons were knocked down in their attack on the barrage at Dover yesterday.
We are also presented with a summary for the last week, up to 6 p.m. last night. In that period, the German High Command states, that 505, five-o-five, British planes were destroyed while one two nine, 129, German planes are considered lost. That is the accounting from the Berlin side of the fight. No doubt Mr. Murrow has something to tell you about the British acknowledgement of the same period. However, as we come with these reports, the Völkischer Beobachter sums up the feelings here in its front page headline today that follows: So they lie, so they will continue to lie. The German press and the High Command have given no indication that the air attacks on Britain (clears throat) and results are not going according to schedule. For instance, the paper ***tag writes this morning, quote, “Airplanes have conquered the superiority of the air over England. The British coastal verifications have been crushed within a few days.” End of quote. Then the paper accuses Winston Churchill of having multiplied the German losses by 40. And then by adding up the resulting British figures, the German plane losses amount to 11,000 planes, this paper claims. Well that’s a little problematic for the adding machine these days while waiting for more concrete news.
This morning, the Berlin papers do not report that German planes bombed Croydon Airport outside of London. They report that London had its fifth air raid alarms since the start of the war when German planes passed overhead, but no bombs were dropped. But London anti-aircraft batteries went into action, we read. But the Berlin radio picks up and broadcasts Associated Press stories about the attack on Croydon and that large columns of smoke were seen over the London airport. Incidentally, the official news agency this morning, denies the English reports the Germans used over 1000 planes in the attack on Britain yesterday. The Deutsche Nachrichten Bureau states this morning, that only 200 bombers and about 320 Messerschmitt fighter planes took part in the day long air battle over Great Britain. And that is all we have to report on air activity this morning.
The Deutsche Zeitung, the German paper for occupied Holland, reports that Joseph Simon, who is a German civil administrator for the tiny duchy of Luxembourg, has declared that there is to be no longer quote, “a grand duchy of Luxembourg” unquote. The constitution of Luxembourg is no longer valid he states in his decree, because the government has fled. The oath of public officials of the former government is cancelled out and they are to pledge their loyalty to the new German administration.
Britain is watching with interest the Finnish crisis which has developed with the Nordic nation and Mr. Tanner the foreign affairs minister, (undecipherable) said this morning. However, Germany has taken no action, nor any official attitude in the Finnish affair, informed state office spokesman Abbot.
From the story of a propaganda company reporter in one paper this morning, that six unidentified Americans were picked up by German naval vessel when a 9,700 ton ship was captured in the Atlantic Ocean while enroute from Panama to England. The six Americans including a missionary and his wife were unloaded into France and taken French-Spanish border where they were turned over to American (undecipherable) we are told.
This is Edwin Hartrich returning you to now to Columbia in New York.
That was Edwin Hartrich speaking to you from Berlin.
Here in New York Linton Wells is standing by with more news and his analysis of the news.
Mr. Wells.
From the looks of things, the British have demonstrated that not only can they take it on the chin; they can also dish it out. Although Edwin Hartrich said from Berlin that most German planes were grounded by mist today, our correspondent Larry LeSueur told us from a British air raid shelter this morning that the Nazi air force is continuing yesterday’s sixteen hours attacks, while Britain remains undisturbed over the fact. More than 1000 German war birds struck England, Scotland and Wales for sixteen continuous hours yesterday and are at it again now according to Mr. LeSueur while English fighter planes and anti-aircraft were and are taking their toll on Nazi war machines; the R.A.F. was doing some blitzkrieging on its own account against German and Italian bases showing that two can play at the same game. Most experts are still of the opinion that a fortnight’s continuance of Nazi air operations will prove one way or another if Hitler’s forces are capable of bringing Britain to her knees.
As British planes reportedly continued their night raids on Northern Italy, Rome grows more incensed at Switzerland. Although the Swiss are lodging a vigorous protest with Whitehall against R.A.F. planes flying over the Alps on their way to Italy, the fascists are threatening drastic action against Switzerland on the grounds that the Swiss are in reality cooperating with the British. Coming on the heels of the Italian press campaign, charging Switzerland with insulting Italy and Germany, and urging Italian residents of Switzerland to defend themselves it is not beyond the bounds of probability that the fascists are preparing for some punitive action against Helvetia as they are apparently against Greece.
There has been no explanation so far of yesterday’s mysterious submarining of a Greek minelayer off the island of Tinos and the subsequent torpedoing of a (undecipherable) with considerable loss of life. But there are reports from Athens that Italian planes have attacked the Greek steamer Brenton off the island of Crete. Rome professes ignorance about these attacks, but the Italian press continues to charge that Greece is a tool of Great Britain in a plot to upset the peace of Southeastern Europe and is promising a strong Italian answer. This would seem to be leading up to an Italian demand for Greek territory which will probably be granted thus complicating Britain’s position in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Yesterday, you will recall the United States Marines managed to obtain control of the most important sector of the former British section of Shanghai. An area which includes the downtown business, banking and hotel district and the Huangpu River waterfront. This left the United States the sole occidental nation in a position to uphold the rights of the Open Door Policy in China. The Japanese made no effort to conceal their disgruntlement over the failure of their efforts to gain complete control of Shanghai’s international settlement and it was prophesized freely that Tokyo would reject the plan. This morning it is reported from Shanghai that an official Japanese spokesman has made a summary demand on American officials to turn over the newly allot sector to the Nipponese. To submit to these demands would be tantamount to complete surrender to all American and all occidental rights to China. While Secretary of State Hull is said on more than one occasion must be respected and maintained. So the probability is that Nipponese demands will be summarily rejected by Washington. The Japanese are not people who understand the meaning of the word “no”. So the probability is that the American Marines in Shanghai are in for a warm time of it in the weeks to come. How far the Japanese militarists will go remains to be seen. But heretofor they have shown little respect for any foreign power’s rights accept those of the United States to a mild degree. Now that they are in a position for a real showdown with America it is too much to expect that caution will characterize their dealing with the situation. If simple pricking and vocal protests were likely to be the extent of the Japanese pressure there would be no cause for concern. But the Nipponese are extremists in all things and apparently they have gone too far to back down. So it would be wise to keep one vigil eye on Shanghai and the other on Washington and Tokyo.
And in Siam, judging by reports from Tokyo, the Japanese are fostering a Siamese move to obtain restoration of territory from French Indochina. Five Siamese divisions are said to be concentrating along the French Indochina border and threatening invasion.
With this report and analysis of the news by Linton Wells, CBS correspondents in London, Berlin and New York have brought you the latest reports on the current European situation. Tony Marvin speaking. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.
Radio ping
NOT AGAIN. The markets in Europe must be down in a big way.
Damn Nazis
Can you imagine trying to keep up with the news 1936-1945?
Another medium. Fantastic.
Transcript, too !!!
Amazing!
You would think the Chinese are far more grateful than they are.
The Germans are at it again?????
Courtesy of CougarGA7, as usual. I was in such a rush to get this hot news posted I forgot to give credit where due.
I forgot my meds this morning, forgot to take my lunch to work, and then after thinking about this broadcast all day at work, I forgot to post it when I got home. All in all, an absent-minded kind of day.
Outstanding presentation, Homer...well done as always, Thanks
Which reminds me, somewhere I have a recording of the wall-to-wall radio broadcasts of the news from D-Day. I gotta find that.
Don’t feel bad. I forgot this was getting posted tonight.
Nazis. I hate those guys.
Nonsense. The anti-Iraq people said that WWII didn’t begin until December 7, 1941.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
